Here’s how creative business owners can get started with the 75 Soft Challenge.
You already know I’m a sucker for productivity and bettering myself. It’s kind of my whole thing. So when I heard about the 75 Hard Challenge, I knew I had to get down on it.
Then I actually read the rules.
75 Hard is intense. Like, “reorganize your entire existence around this program” intense.
Which is good for some, but as someone running a business where my energy, creativity, and client projects all depend on me not burning myself the frick out, I knew that level of extreme wasn’t going to work for me.
So I went looking for a milder alternative, and that’s how I landed on 75 Soft.
I’m on this journey right now, because honestly?
I need to build my dream life.
If you’re a creative business owner who’s drawn to self-improvement and levelling up but can’t afford to burn out (who can?), you’ll probably love 75 Soft too.
What Is 75 Soft?
The 75 Soft Challenge is the milder version of the 75 Hard Challenge by Andy Frisella.
It’s designed for people who want real, meaningful lifestyle changes without the extreme intensity of the original—which, if you’re already juggling deadlines and running every part of your business solo, is probably you.
With 75 Soft, you build better habits and improve your overall well-being with more flexibility and a lot less stress on your system.
The 75 Soft Challenge Rules Checklist
Want to start this mental fitness challenge? Here are the rules to follow for 75 days straight:
- Perform a 45-minute daily workout and one active recovery day per week
- Follow a healthy meal plan and drink only during events
- Drink 3 liters of water
- Read 10 pages of any book
- Take a daily progress photo
The original 75 hard rules are strict, with little to no room for flexibility—which is exactly why so many people never finish it.
But the rules of 75 Soft are more achievable. So, let’s talk about them in detail:
1. Exercise for 45 Minutes Per Day
Unlike 75 Hard’s two 45-minute workouts a day, you only need one session daily here.
This can be any form of movement you enjoy—walking, skipping rope, yoga, or whatever gets your body moving. You also get one active rest day per week.
For a lot of us running creative businesses, movement is genuinely one of the best ways to process ideas and shake off a stuck feeling. It doesn’t have to be intense to count.
2. Eat Well and Drink Only on Occasions
Focus on nutritious foods most of the time.
The keyword is “most.” You’re not on a strict diet—you can eat what you like, just lean toward healthy more often than not. Social drinks on occasions are fine too.
3. Drink 3 Liters of Water
The original 75 Hard rule asks for a gallon a day.
75 Soft brings that down to 3 liters—enough to stay properly hydrated without turning water intake into another stressful metric to hit between client calls.
4. Read 10 Pages of Any Book
Feed your mind too, and this time there’s no genre restriction.
Unlike 75 Hard’s requirement of nonfiction only, you can read whatever actually pulls you in—self-help, fiction, folk tales, your industry’s latest release, or whatever. Just 10 pages, every day.
5. One Progress Picture a Week
Track your physical changes with a weekly progress picture.
Taking visual records of your progress is a great way to stay motivated and connected to why you started—the same way tracking a launch or a content strategy keeps you honest about what’s actually working.
Advantages of the 75 Soft Challenge Program
Here are the benefits of this 75-day challenge:
Achievable for More People
The softer rules make this accessible to a much wider range of people—including business owners with unpredictable schedules, inconsistent energy, and client work that doesn’t always leave room for rigid routines.
Promotes Balance
With just one daily workout and dietary flexibility, 75 Soft encourages a genuinely balanced approach to health, rather than an all-or-nothing one.
The water intake goal is realistic too—3 liters a day is manageable even on your busiest weeks.
Reduces Risk of Burnout
The lower intensity means you’re less likely to feel overwhelmed or burnt out mid-challenge, which matters a lot. And it somehow increases your odds of actually finishing all 75 days.
Encourages Lasting Change
This is sustainable, and plenty of people have completed it.
Its moderate approach makes it easier to build habits you’ll actually maintain long after day 75.
So, if lasting change is what you’re after, you can pair this challenge with this life audit worksheet to help you get clear on which habits and areas of your life actually need the shift in the first place.
Adaptable to Different Lifestyles
You choose your own workout, your own books, and your own approach to eating well.
That means you can shape the challenge around your business’s actual rhythm—heavier launch weeks, slower content weeks, all of it—instead of forcing your business to bend around the challenge.
75 Soft can help you build sustainable, healthy habits and real personal growth without being “too” hard on yourself… something a lot of us genuinely need permission to hear.
75 Soft vs. 75 Hard: Which One Is Better?
Both challenges have their benefits and drawbacks. The “better” option really depends on your personal goals, your current season of business, and how much bandwidth you actually have.
75 Hard Challenge: Pros & Cons
75 Hard is an intense, all-in program that pushes you to your limits. If you’re looking for a complete lifestyle overhaul and have the time and energy to commit fully, you can give it a shot.
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75 Soft Challenge: Pros & Cons
The 75 Soft is a more sustainable approach to developing healthier habits and creating lasting changes in your life without going to the extreme.
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Ultimately, both challenges can lead to real, transformative change within a 75-day window.
Want to build a business and a life that actually excites you in the next 75 days? Try 75 Soft.
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